Sound-producing instrument.



0. A. PARSONS.

PATENTED MAR 27, 1906..

SOUND PRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12, 1904.

Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 0. A. PARSONS. v SOUND PRODUCING INSTRUMENTAPPLICATION FILED APR. 12,

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CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, OF NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND.

I souN -Pnoouome INSTRU ENT,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

Application filed April 12, 1904. Serial No. 202.867.

T 0 ail whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, a subject of the Kin ofGreat Britain-and Ireland, residing at fleaton'VVorks,

vNewcastle upon Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-ProducingInstruments, (for which I have made application for Letters Patent inGreat Britain, No. 10,469, bearing date August 5, 1903,) ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to stringed instru mentssuch as the violin,Violoncello, bass, double bass, pianoforte, harp, ac.-and to instrumentswhich emit a note or combination of notes when struck such as the drum,

v triangle, bells, &c.-and has for its object to render more efficientthe transmutation of the energy of the vibration of the strings or othervibrating parts into sound-waves in air.

I have found that in all stringed instruments the present sounding boardor mem Y brane which is employed for the transmutation of the energy ofvibration of the strings into sound-waves in air is a device of very,low mechanical efficiency and, further, introduces distortions into the.wave characteristics. I find that in an instrument constructed accordingto my invention the phases of motion of the strings or other vibratingparts are much more truly and accurately reproduced in air-waves andthat the power and character of the sounds is greatly superior to anyordinary instrument.

In carrying my invention into effect, according to one modification asapplied to a violin, I employ a valve of the character de scribed in myBritish Patent No. 10,468 of 1903, and I support this valve from thestructure of the violin on which the bridge is car- ;ried, thesounding-board being removed or substantially inoperative.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is .a side elevation ofa violin con structed according to my invention. Fig. 2- is an endelevation of the air-chambcr and valve and its connections. Fig. 3-is aside view of the valve-actuating connection. Fig. 4 is a view of theair-chamber in a direction perpendicular to the valve-face, the trumpetand its connections and part of the valve being removed.

The frame a, of my violin has the appearance of the frame of an ordinaryviolin with the sounding-board removed, a simple bar 17,

substituted in its place, supporting the bridge 0. The compressed airchamber (1 is attached to a metal bracket e, with flange f, which areseated on the bar I) and fixed there to by screws. The bridge 0 ismounted on a rubber orelastic seat 9 on the flange f and is held inposition by the violin-strings in the usual manner. The compressed-airchamber at is provided with a valve, which may be of any of the formsdescribed in my British specification, No. 10,4 68 of 1903 ,but I muchprefer the valve hereinafter described. The valve consists of a'gratings, forming part of the boundary of the air-chamber, and a grating 15,Fig. 4, adapted to cover the slits in the v grating 3, attached to thebar 7c, which oscillates about ltS ttXlS and 1s in one piece with thearm Z. The bar 79 is mounted on fiat springs u, fixed to supports on theface of the this screw w the rest position of the movablegrating may beadjusted. The arm 1 is connected to the bridge 0 by the rod m, which isattached to the bridge at 'n, rigidly. The other end of the rod inpasses through a hole in the arm Z, the area of contact being embeddedin a viscous substance, forming a viscous connection 0, so that for slowmovements the rod. m can more relatively to the arm Z, but acts as arigid connection to transmit to the arm Z and valve-cover grating 15 therapid vibrations of the bridge corresponding to the vibrations of thesprings when the violin is played. Compressed air is supplied totheair-chamber (1 through a flexible connection to the pipe p and passes incontrolled waves through the valve to the conical tube q in connectionwith a trumpet 1*, preferably of aluminium, and supported in anyconvenient position from the frame of the violin. I preferably line thetrumpet at its smaller end with velvet, felt, or similar material, whichhas the effect of damping out scratching sounds and very high harmonics.The supply of compressed or rarefied elastic fluid may be obtained inanysuitableaway; but the pressure of the supply should be constant: 1find a pressure of two to four pounds per square inch quite suitable;but I may use higher or lower pressures. I may mount the bridge onspring-supports of steel, metal, Wood, or other suitable substanceinstead of ICC pensive instrument.

vibrate wi ia dil the rubber, above described, according to the t nerequired oi the instrument, and l modiiv the weight of the bridge andadjust resiliem-e ol' the supports to secure. this also, i may dispensewith the trumpet no cases. The connection l'ietween the and the valvemay coni' st ol two *ery u and close-fitting concent ic tubes lubri- -lwith some viscoie-i sub ance, such a .'ll..\llll'( oi' vegetable pitchand lard, or any form ol' r: nipling which allows 'l'reely of a slowrelative motion between the valve and bridge, but is absolutely rigidfor rapid oscillatory rnolmi-i I li'hen the reproduceris applied to amany stringed instrument, it will generally be found desirable to modifythe instrumei'it. For instance, in a piano or harp the strings are atpresent placed at such intervals that they cover a large area. This isimmaterial in the case of the'prescnt large soundingboards but to avoidtoo many or even a pinrality of reproducer-valves I may bring one end ofeach string or group of strings into position so that they lie within asmall area.

According to other modifications of my invention, I may apply a valve ofthe character above referred to to any suitable vibrating part oi anymusical instrument. which emits a note or combination of notes whenstruck and may thus greatly reinforce the sound produced by the part inthe immediate vicinity of the attachment and produce loud and clearsounds from a very smalland inex- For instance, by connecting areproducer to any part of a bell the sound produced by that part of thebell which is close to the point of attachment will be greatlyincreased. Further, instead of constructing a very large and expensivebell I may use a much smaller and thinner bell with the same periods ofvibration and may produce the same eil'ect by means of numerousreproducers attached to suitable places between the nodal points. I maysimilarly apply a reproducer to any instruments which emit musicalsounds when struck, such as d rmns, cymbals, triangles, &c.

ln con'ibination with all musical instru-' meats in which a reproduceremploying compressed or rarefied elastic fluid is used I have found itadvantageous to provide one or more sharp bonds between the reproducerand lhe trumpet in order to red cs as much as possible scratching soundsand high harmonies.

ilaving now describcduny invention, what l claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

II. It musi :il

ing a valve controlling the passage of a stream of elastic fluid, meansfor supplying the elastic fluid, a vibrating part adapted to l'erentfrequencies when difcombmation, a

instrument, comprising in, (.(ill'lilllnlinir a J'UPTIXiUCIHg device,1nclu(lferent notes are played on the instrument, and a connectionbetween said vibrating part and said valve, whereby said valvereproduces the vibrations of said vibrating part,

set forth.

musical instrument, comprising in reproducing device includ ing avalve-face and val -1e-cover opening in a direction substantially normalto said valve-face, and having a ,large area of opening for smalldisplacements, said valve face and cover controlling the passage ofstream of elastic fluid, means for supplying the elastic fluid, avibrating part adapted to vibrate with different frequencies whendifferent notes are played on the instrument, and a connection betweensaid vibrating part and said valve-cover, whereby said valve reproducesthe vibrations of said vibrating part as set forth. I 6 3. A musicalstringed instrument, con iprising in combination, a reproducing deviceincluding a valve controlling the passage of a stream of elastic fluid,means for supplying the elastic fluid, a string or strings adapted to beoperated, and to vibrate with different frequencies when difierent notesare played on the instrument, a vibrating part capable of vibrating inunison with said string, and means for communicating the vibrations ofsaid vibrating part to the valve, as set forth. t. A musical instrument,comprising in combination, a reproducing device includ ing a valvecontrolling the passage of a stream of elastic iluid, means forsupplying the elastic fluid, a vibrating part adapted to be set invibration when the instrument is played, and a viscous connectionbetween said valve and said vibrating part, as forth.

5. In combination with a musical instru ment having a vibratory partcapable of pro ducing sound-vibrations when said instru- 'ment is playedupon, an elastic-fluid 011M111- ber, a fixed grating forming part of theboundary of said chamber, means fordirecting elastic fluid to saidchamber, an oscillatin grating controlling the flow of elastic fluithrough said chamber and an initial 0 erating connection between thesaid oscil ating grating and the vibratory part of the instrumentwhereby said oscillating grating will be set in motion initially fromthe vibrating art of the instrument and maintained in viration so longas the instrument is played.

6. In a musical stringed instrument, in

combination, ,an airchamber supported from the frame of the instrument,a fixed grating forming 'part of the boundary of said chamber, anoscillating grating ada ted to control the flow of air from saidchamber, and means for actuating said oscillating grating from thestrings of the instrument, as set lorth.

7. in a musical stringed instrument, in combination, an air-chambersupported from the frame of the instrument, a fixed grating forming partof the boundary of said chainber, an oscillating grating adapted tcontrol the new of air from said chamber, and a vie cous connectionbetween said oscillating grating and a vibrating part of the instrument,as set forth.

In a musical instrumentin combination, a fixed grating supported fromthe frame of the instrument,- a connection for supplying a stream ofelastic fluid through said fixed grating, a ovable grating adapted tocontrol the pas go of said stream through said fixed grating, avibrating part adapted to vibrain with dill'erent frequencies whendifl'erent notes are 'ilayed on the instrument, and means forcommunicating the vibrations of said vibrating part to said movablegrating,

is so! forth.

9. In a nn sical stringed instrument, in combination, an air-chambersupported from llnframe of the instrument, a fixed grating forming partof the boundary of said chamber, an oscillating grating adapted tocontrol the flow of air from said chamber, a springmounted bridgesupporting the strings of the instrument, and a viscous connection be'een said bridge and said oscillating gating, as set forth.

10. A sound-producing instrument comprising in combination, areproducing device including a valve controlling the passage of a streamof elastic fluid, means for supplying the elastic fluid, a vibratingpart adapted to be set in vibration when the instrument is operated, anda viscous connection between said valve and said vibrating part.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES ALGERNUN PARSONS. lNitnesses HENRY GRAHAM DAKYNS, Jnr.,VVVI'LLIAM DAGGETT.

